How Often Does An Average Water Heater Run?

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With the holiday season upon us, a water heater is one of the few appliances that everybody needs in their homes. Water heaters primarily work by helping to heat water for various daily home needs, such as bathing, cooking, space heating, cleaning, and washing.

Most people don’t spend a lot of their time thinking about their water heater unless the system is faulty and needs immediate attention. While this is okay, what is not good enough is – not having a basic understanding of how a water heating system works around your home.

One of the few things you need to understand about water heaters is the amount of time it takes for the systems to work daily. In case you don’t know, an average water heater runs for about 3 hours a day. Newer and more efficient models can run for as low as 1.5 hours daily.

Do water heaters constantly run? How often does an average water heater run? How long exactly is too long for a water heater to run? Read further to find answers to these burning questions and more.

Do water heaters constantly run?

Here’s what you need to know about water heaters

Water heaters play a pivotal role in every home, especially during the winter season. The system’s primary function is to help heat your water and keep your space warm.

The working principles of water heaters vary depending on the type you’re using. In case you don’t know, there are four main types of water heaters out there; tank-type, hybrid, tank-less, and point-of-use.

The tank-type water heater is the most popular kind, the hybrid or heat pump-type is relatively new, while the tank-less tank is fast becoming popular across the world. As for the point-of-use water heater, it helps to deliver hot water quickly to the necessary appliances, especially those that are far away from the heating system.

Here’s how the water heater works

As you already know, the tank-type water heater is by far the most widely used heating system across the world. This system is usually available in two different types depending on how it’s powered; gas and electricity-powered tank heater. Furthermore, a tank-type water heater often comes installed with a storage tank, which helps to hold water until there’s a need for it.

For a tank-type water heater to run; cold water is needed, it enters directly through the bottom of the tank. An electric-powered tank heater has a heating element at its base, which helps to heat cold water as soon as it enters the tank. For a gas-powered heater, the cold water is heated by a gas flame until it reaches the desired temperature. The temperature is regulated by a thermostat.

Anytime hot water is needed, the tank-type heater works by pumping the already heated hot water, through various pipes, to the appropriate places in your home.

Water heaters aren’t designed to run constantly

In case you’re wondering whether or not water heaters run constantly, here’s what you need to know below.

Water heaters are not designed to run constantly. So, if you’re currently experiencing a situation where your heater runs constantly, it could be a sign that everything isn’t okay with the system. The most common cause of a constantly running water heater is leakage.

Yes, if your water heater is running continuously, it could be that there is a leak somewhere. Here’s the thing; water heaters have a couple of components, such as the drain valve and the relief valve. The drain valve, which is important for the maintenance of the system, helps to drain hot water from the tank. As for the relief valve, it’s designed to release water and maintain the pressure inside the tank.

As you can see both the relief valve and drain valve are essential to your water heater. If any of the two valves become damaged, this could cause leaks, which will eventually make your water heater run constantly.

Insufficient insulation is another factor that could make your water heater run constantly. If the system is not properly insulated, there’s no way the temperature inside the tank can be maintained, making the water heater run continuously.

Another common cause of a constantly running water heater is old age. Here’s the thing; if the tank is old or neglected, it could develop pinhole leaks, causing the system to run constantly.

So, the bottom line is that water heaters aren’t designed to run constantly. If yours is behaving this way, this could be a warning sign that everything isn’t okay. You may need to get a new tank or replace the relief and drain valves.

How often does an average water heater run?

An average water heater is expected to run for about three hours a day. However, you need to understand that the difference in total operation time is one factor that you need to put into consideration in this case.

For newer, tankless heating models, the operation time could be between one or two hours. Older models could take up to five hours to run.

Furthermore, the operation time for a water heater also depends, to a large extent, on how the system is powered. For instance, a 40-gallon gas water heater could take an average of 30 to 40 minutes to heat water and run. As for the 80-gallon heater, it could take up to 60-70 minutes.

Electric water heater with a tank capacity of 80 gallons could take up to 2 or more hours to heat up and run, depending on the temperature of the incoming water.

How long is too long for your water heater to run?

Generally speaking, the average time it takes for water heaters to run is 3 hours. However, some heaters, especially old tank models, can run for 5 or 6 hours. If your heater runs more than 6 to 7 hours a day, this could mean that there’s a problem somewhere.

One of the reasons why a water heater could take a longer time to heat water is when there’s a buildup of sediments inside the tank. This is most likely to happen if the buildup, such as calcium or magnesium, settles down where the heating element is located. The buildup of mineral materials will make it pretty easy for your water heater to deliver quickly.

A failing water heater could also prolong the amount of time it takes the system to heat water. According to experts, the lifespan of water heaters is about eight to 12 years. It’s normal for an old water heater to misbehave.